As already noted, from the standpoint of participation in regional economic development, educational achievement is a key prerequisite. While studies reveal a clear positive relationship between economic status and level of educational achievement (ABS/CAEPR 1996), an important shortcoming is their lack of measurement of the quality of education outcomes. For example, age at leaving school or highest level of schooling completed does not necessarily equate with school-leaving grade level achievement. In fact, for many Aboriginal students in remote areas, age or grade level is a poor indicator of achievement as many Aboriginal students perform substantially below their age and grade levels in terms of literacy and numeracy competencies. Thus, while data on participation in the education system provide an important indication of access and utilisation, it should be noted that they are less revealing about outcomes in terms of demonstrated ability, no matter from what perspective this might be measured.

In Western Australia, outcomes from education are measured using benchmarks devised by the Western Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment program (WALNA). This is a curriculum-based assessment that tests students’ knowledge and skills in numeracy, reading, spelling and writing. The WALNA test is administered annually to all students in Western Australian schools (including Catholic schools) in years 3, 5 and 7, although a few exemptions are made. The test gathers information on the performance of school children in relation to nationally agreed benchmarks in numeracy, reading, spelling and writing, and in relation to that of other Year 3, 5 or 7 students across Western Australia. The national benchmark standard is an agreed standard of performance that professional educators across the country deem to be the minimum level required for students at particular key stages in their educational development in order to make adequate progress. By providing an indication of how students are faring against the national benchmark and in relation to state performance, the WALNA assessment assists in identifying those students who would benefit from extension, as well as those not meeting the minimum expected standard.

For students in the Northern East Kimberley who sat the WALNA test (most of those eligible) in each of the core competencies, the percentage who achieved the benchmark cut-off score in 2002 is shown in Table 5.5 with comparative data for the whole State. These figures include all schools, both government and Catholic. As might be expected, given the relative school attendance rates observed above, the performance of Aboriginal students in the study region is substantially below that of their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Typically, the proportion of Aboriginal students achieving the benchmark in each school year and for each of the competencies, is less than 50%. The main exception is in year 5 for numeracy, reading and writing where Aboriginal performance peaks and is closest to local non-Aboriginal outcomes. A similar conclusion is drawn if comparison is made between outcomes in the region and those observed generally for Aboriginal students in Western Australia, although in some instances (notably year 5 reading and writing), students in the region perform above the Aboriginal state average. The last panel in Table 5.5 underscores the fact that performance generally in the Northern East Kimberley falls considerably below the State average for all students.

Outcomes at the Barramundi school are framed somewhat differently. For example, aside from permanent teaching staff and Aboriginal education workers, many community members also participate in the school, and this may be viewed as a positive outcome. Examples include the police who teach defensive driving, the Aboriginal Medical Service which teaches first aid, TAFE which teaches welding, and elders who teach law (Sidoti 2000). Community agencies also offer work experience placements for Barramundi students, including the Kimberley Land Council, the youth centre and the police station. Barramundi School was evaluated by Edith Cowan University in 1999 and was found to be successful in raising attendance rates to over 85%; raising student literacy and numeracy levels; reducing offending—(crime among the Barramundi boys dropped from 80% in 1998 to 20% in 1999 and the 20% was committed during school holidays); and through gaining strong community and student approval (Sidoti 2000).